Multiple phonogram or record holder.



No. 673,413. Patented may 7i, mol. w. T. BAKER aka. r. cLAYToN. MULTIPLE PHONOGBAM 0R RECHD HLDER.

(Application filed June 21, 1900.)

(Nro Model.)

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UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM T. BAKER AND BENJAMIN F. CLAYTON, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

MULTIPLE PHONOGRM OR RECORD HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,413, dated May '7, 1901. v

Application filed J' une 21, 1900. Serial No. 21,096. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that We, WILLIAM T. BAKER and BENJAMIN F. CLAYTON, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and Improved Multiple Phonogram or Record Holder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in graphophones, phonographs, and other sound producing and reproducing instruments; and it more especially has for its purpose to provide an improved means for supporting a plurality of phonograms or recorders coperatively With the stylus and stylus-operating mechanism in such manner that any oneof a set of phonograms or records can be quickly and conveniently set to an operative position-that is, in engagement With the stylus- Without disturbing the remaining ones of the phonograms or recorders. Y

Primarily our invention seeks to provide a mechanism of the character stated of a very simple and economical construction capable of being easily manipulated and to effectively serve for its intended purposes, the same being so arranged as to readily coperate with any of the Well-known types of graphophones or phonograph stylus-carrier and the operating mechanisms therefor.

Our invention in its complete make-up inclndes asimple and easily-operated means for settin g the record-carrier to bring any desired one of the records into the proper position to engage the stylus and simultaneously provide a stable bearing for one end of the shaft or spindle carrying the record to be operated, whereby to positively hold the said record in a true alinement With the movement of the stylus and reduce, as it were, the danger of irregular or a lateral scraping action of the stylus on the record lines or Waves to the minimum, the same setting devices being also operatively connected With detent mechanism for holding the record-carrier to any of its set positions.

In its subordinate features our invention consists in certain details of construction and novel combination of parts, all of which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l illustrates our invention as applied for use in connection with a graphophone. Fig. 2 is a side view of our invention, so much of the gear mechanism and supporting-frame being shown as is necessary to illustrate the general arrangement of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a transverse section thereof, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a detail View of the combined. end bearing-frame and detent devices hereinafter referred to.

In the practical construction our improvement embodies in its make-u p a suitably-constructed supporting-frame, (indicated by l in the drawings,) in which the drive mechanism for imparting motion to the record or phonogram cylinder is mounted. This mechanism may be of any approved construction, as it, per se, forms no part of our invention.

In the drawings, 2 indicates one of a train of drive-gears of the said mechanism which meshes with the gear 3a on the supplemental drive-shaft 3, the front end of Which extends beyond the frontA plate la of the frame l and carries a gear 4, Which acts as the driver for imparting motionto any one of the several spindles upon which thephonograms or records are mounted, as Will presently be fully explained.

Projected outward at right angles from the front plate 'la is a rigidly-held'shaft 5, which extends in a plane parallel With the line of movement of the stylus. Upon the shaft 5 is rotatably mounted a carrier consisting of a circular disk 6, centrally apertured to fit loosely upon the shaft 5. This disk has an outWardlyextending tubular hub 6, into which the shaft 5 extends when the parts are assembled, as shown. The outer end of the hub 621 is loosely mounted in the standard 7, projected up from the base 8, and the extreme end of the hub 6a carries a dial 6b, having indicating characters e-one for each record or phonogram-mounted upon the carrier 6. The standard 7 is preferably formed of spring metal, and the loWer end of the same has a foot, whereby it can be conveniently IOO secured to the base ca, and the said lower end is slotted, as at 7 a, the reason of which will presently appear.

Fixedly secured to and projectedoutward from the circular disk 6 is a series of spindles 9, of a proper diameter to receive and hold the records or phonograms. All of the spindles 9 are of such length that their outer edges will pass closely to the inner face of the upwardly-extending portion 7d ofthe standard 7, the said inner face of the standard being formed with a socket 7e, which when the desired one of the records is brought into position serves as a bearing for the outer end of the spindle upon which such record is mounted, and thereby provides for holding both ends of the spindle in proper position to secure a uniform rotation of the record and maintain it in such proper relation to the stylus as to eect a reproduction of the sounds with but a minimum scratching or rasping action. All of the spindles 9 have their aXis arranged in a like concentric line with the shaft 5, and the inner end of each spindle is projected through the disk 6 and carries a gear-wheel 9a.

By arranging the parts in the manner described it is manifest that as any one of the record-holding spindles is brought up into an operative position its gear-wheel 9a will be brought into mesh with the driver gear-wheel 4, hereinbefore referred to.

The peripheral edge of the disk 6 has notches 6f, one for each record-holding spindle, with any one of which when moved in proper position a pivoted detent or lockinglatch l0 engages, said latch being spring-held to its locking position, as shown in the drawings. The outer end of the locking-latch l0 passes through the slotted portion 7 of the standard 7 and terminates in an upwardlyprojecting finger-lift 10". The locking member 10 is also provided with a Wedge portion 10C, which lies on a contra wedge portion 7g,

formed on the inner face of the standard '7, the two portions ,7g and l()c being so arranged relatively that when the finger end of the member l0 is lifted its end l0 will be forced down out of engagement with the notch in the'disk 6, and at the same time the Wedge portion 10c will engage the standard 7 and spring it out sufficiently to move its upper or socket end from engagement with the outer end of that spindle 9 last journaled in the said socket, and thereby leaves the record-carrier free to rotate upon its shaft, and when so freed the carrier can be turned to bring any one of the other records and its supportingspindle into a proper operative position,which movement is eected by turning the dial 6b to bring the desired member or character thereon in line with the index on the outer face of the standard 7.

We are aware that multiple-record-holding means have heretofore been provided and generically we make no claim therefor. Our invention, so far as we know, diiferentiates from what has heretofore been provided for the same purpose in the manner in which the record-holding spindles are supported, the detent devices for holding the carrier upon which the records are supported to its adj usted positions, and the means Vfor releasing the outer ends of the spindles simultaneously with the releasing of the carrier-disk from the detent that holds the said disk from turning. Again, our invention also provides for permitting the changing of the records Without stopping the record-spindle drive mechanism 6, the same being accomplished by reason of the standard 7 having outward movement from the frame l. Thus should it be desired to bring another record into position Without stopping the mechanism 2 the operator as he grasps the dial end of the carrier by pulling on the same outwardly will slide the carrier-disk and hub sufficiently outward to disengage the gear 9a from the drivegear 4C, the hub 6a having for this purpose a shoulder 6X, which engages the inner side of the standard 7, as shown.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the advantages of our invention will be readily understood.

By providing means for releasing the carrier, so that it turns freely upon the shaft 5, and also for moving the said carrier so that the record-spindle 9 will become disengaged from the driving mechanism a second record can ,be quickly brought into position withoutstopping the mechanism on the machine, it being understood that when this is done the stylus may be thrown'back, so as not to engage the record until the second record is properly adjusted in position. Furthermore, by providing a standard formed of a spring-body the same will automatically move into position to form a support for the outer end of the spindle, and thereby positively hold the spindle in a proper position to rotate without danger of sagging or twist action, keeping, as it were, the record in a proper position to coperate with the stylus to produce perfect vibrations.

The devices illustrated in the drawings show generally the arrangement of our invention; but we desire it understood that the parts illustrated might be modified or the details slightly changed without departing from the spirit of our invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A multiple-record holder for the purposes described, comprising a frame, a drive mechanism, a disk rotatably mounted on the frame, a series of record-receiving spindles mounted on said disk, each spindle being independently rotatable and having a gear at one end to engage with the drive mechanism, a standard spring-pressed in the direction of the outer end of the spindles and having a socket forming a bearing for the outer end of IOO IIO

the spindle carrying the record to be operated on, and the latch-lever for locking the disk to its adjusted position, said lever having a connection with the standard whereby as it is moved to a disk-releasing position :it will engage the standard and move it from engagement With the spindle, substantially as shown and described. y

2. The combination with the frame andthe drive mechanism, including the gear 4, and the outwardly-extending shaft 5; of the disk 6, rotatably mounted on the shaft 5, said disk having a tubular extension, the standard 7, having a bearing for the tubular extension, the dial mounted upon the said tubular eX- tension, said standard having its inner face formed to normally engage With and provide a bearing for the outer end of the recordspindle, a series of spindles carried on the disk, each having an independent rotary movement and each having a gear 9a, adapted to engage the gear 4, and a single finger-operated lever device, normally engaging the disk to hold it from rotation and adapted when moved to its released position to simultaneously free the disk to permit it to turn upon its bearing and move the standard from engagement With the free end of the spindle,

all being arranged substantially as shown and described.

3. The hereinbefore described improvement in multiple-record devices for graphophones and the like, comprising in combination; a suitable frame, a drive mechanism mounted thereon including the gear 4, the disk 6, rotatably mounted upon the frame, said disk having an outwardly-extending tubular extension, the outer end of which carries a dial, a series of spindles projected in a concentric line from the disk, each spindle being independently rotatable upon the disk and carrying upon its inner end a gear adapted to be brought into mesh With the drivegear 4, the standard 7, said standard having its upper end spring-pressed inwardly, the upper end of said standard having a socket to receive the outer or free end of the spindles as they are brought into an operative position, the standard having a Wedge-shaped portion 7c, said standard being slotted at a point below the said Wedge-shaped portion,

the pivoted lever l0, said lever having its inner end arranged to engage With predetermined portions of the disk 6, and lock it from movement, the outer end of said lever projecting through the slotted portion of the standard and terminating in an upwardly extending finger portion and having a Wedge portion 10C, adapted to engage the Wedge portion 7C, on the standard, all being arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

WILLIAM T. BAKER. BENJAMIN F. CLAYTON.

Witnesses:

M. J. WILLIAMS, WM. B. ZOELLER. 

